Stamford archive: Week of July 27

Published 1:00 am, Monday, July 28, 2014

Firefighters pull a hose into the third floor of a house at 293 Fairfield Avenue on July 30, 1989 that left 23 people homeless.

Firefighters pull a hose into the third floor of a house at 293 Fairfield Avenue on July 30, 1989 that left 23 people homeless.

Photo: File Photo/Dru Nadler

Stamford archive: Week of July 27

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Five years ago

Thursday, July 30, 2009

After pressure from the state, the city health department has changed its new restaurant rating system to provide more clarity in inspection scores.

Instead of the previous three-grade system, which designated a food service establishment as excellent, adequate or poor, Stamford establishments can be ranked excellent, adequate, fair or poor.

Environmental health inspector Ronald Miller, one worker spearheading the rating system, said the change -- only two weeks after the system was launched -- resulted from an oversight the state brought to the city's attention.

Now, only food service establishments that fail the inspection are ranked as having poor compliance, Miller said. Previously, inspectors could find a failing violation, but the restaurant could still be categorized as having adequate compliance in online ratings, he said. The opposite is also true -- now a restaurant with five risk factors, a more minor violation, is considered fair, not poor.

City inspectors look for a possible 62 violations, including nine risk factors and 10 critical four-point violations that can cause food-borne illness. Finding a four-point violation, which include storing food at unsafe temperatures and not installing proper hand washing facilities, causes automatic failure and a reinspection.

After the launch of Stamford's ratings two weeks ago, a few restaurant owners met with Miller to complain, although Miller said the changes were not a result of a handful of complaints, but an effort to better portray state heath guidelines.

The change resulted in some restaurants advancing from poor to adequate, Miller said. He could not provide the number, or names of the restaurants.

10 years ago

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Lance Armstrong did the pedaling, but a Stamford firm's contribution may have given the Texan the edge he needed to pull off his record sixth-straight Tour de France victory Sunday.

The custom-made Trek bicycle that Armstrong rode across the finish line in Paris used material developed by Stamford-based Hexcel Corp., an aerospace manufacturer.

Trek has used Hexcel materials in all of the bicycles ridden by Armstrong in his Tour de France victories.

Hexcel also developed the material in Armstrong's bicycles for use in the satellite and aeronautics industries.

Employees of Hexcel and Trek Corp. in Waterloo, Wisconsin, have become Armstrong fans and followers of the Tour de France since they started working together, said Mark Robertson, Hexcel applications engineer.

Hexcel got into the composite bicycle parts business after buying Ciba Composites in Anaheim, Calif. The Stamford company was then able to supply expertise and more advanced material.

The frame and wheels of Armstrong's bike are made of carbon prepreg material -- carbon fiber impregnated with epoxy resin -- manufactured in Salt Lake City.

Hexcel's collaboration with Trek has resulted in one of the lightest bikes in the Tour de France, a strenuous 2,125-mile journey that lasts more than three weeks and includes ascending and descending steep mountain passes in the Pyrenees and Alps.

Fire damaged a two-story house on Fairfield Avenue yesterday afternoon and left about 23 people homeless.

Flames and smoke roared through the roof of the wood frame structure at 293 Fairfield Ave., shortly before noon yesterday and two engine companies from the Stamford Fire Department struggled for nearly five hours to extinguish the blaze.

"From the basement to the attic, the house was loaded with piles of furniture, boxes and clothing," said Lt. Michael Terenzio.

"It hampered our efforts to attack the fire inside the building. We had to climb over the stuff to get to the fire. The outside of the building was cluttered with old, abandoned vehicles. We had a hard time getting our ladders up."

Fire officials said there were about 15 people home at the time the fire started. All of them escaped without injury.

50 years ago

Monday, July 27, 1964

Boats, buildings and docks at Yacht Haven were declared "out of danger" early this morning after city firemen worked 12 hours to prevent a disaster threatened by thousands of gallons of gasoline that leaked out of an underground tank.

Salt water corrosion was blamed for the leakage which was discovered at 4:20 p.m. yesterday. Firemen of No. 4 Engine, directed by Deputy Chief John Boesen, responded and immediately cleared people from the area around Piers 1 and 2. Protective lines of hose were laid and all boat movement in the lagoon was halted.

Another crew, directed by Deputy Chief Charles Skiba, arrived later to continue the work. Guards were post in the area all night to keep people away. Officials feared that someone smoking might set the entire marina ablaze.

100 years ago

Saturday, Aug. 1, 1914

Thrilling scenes were enacted yesterday afternoon off the tract of the Stamford Realty Co. at Shippan Point in which the Thomas hydro-aeroplane which has been making exhibition flights there played a conspicuous part. A beautiful girl had been kidnapped, and taken aboard a swift launch. The hero pursued in a plane. The girl leaped desperately from the villain's minions and dived into the Sound. The hero was hovering in an aeroplane, which swooped down to the water and rescued the girl. All of which will be seen later, by admiring audiences, in moving pictures, part of "The Million-Dollar Mystery."